Minister sticks to his guns on prison inquiry, says Malta is ‘one of the safest countries in Europe’

Byron Camilleri has stuck to his line that he will wait for the conclusions of an inquiry into prison suicides before taking any decisions.

The Home Affairs Minister was replying to a question by MaltaToday on Friday when he gave an overview of his ministry’s budget plans for next year.

Camilleri set up an inquiry earlier this year after a second death of a prison inmate who attempted suicide. The inquiry was granted an extension to its term.

Camilleri has so far refused to remove prison director Alex Dalli, a retired army officer, whose disciplinarian methods are blamed by prisoner welfare campaigners for the suicides in prison.

Dalli came under intense pressure to resign after two warders were charged by police with negligence, following the conclusion of a magisterial inquiry into the death of Kim Borg Virtù, who attempted suicide in prison.

But Camilleri was unfazed when addressing the press this morning in Paola’s main square, just a stone’s throw away from the Corradino Correctional Facility.

He insisted the independent inquiry is extraneous to the criminal charges filed against the prison warders and insisted he will wait for the board to end its work before taking any decisions.

Tattoos and law enforcement

Camilleri also touched upon the issues of tattoos and said the current police policy is too restrictive and leading to lost talent.

He said that, “today’s reality is different and should not be ignored”. The policy should also be clear on “what’s appropriate and what’s not”, he added.

Moving on to Budget 2022, Camilleri said it shows that the security of the country is an important pillar for the government.

“If one compares the investment in this budget with 10 years ago, one notices that this has increased six-fold,” Camilleir said. 

He added that the people’s trust in the police force has increased, according to the Eurobarometer.  

Camilleri said police officers are now equipped with bodycams and specialised vehicles. He said the next step is to reinvent the police uniforms and increase more community police.

He stated that currently community policing is active in 22 localities, but this will be upped to 43, including all the localities in Gozo.

“For the first time, there is better communication between the police force and the citizen. It is a very positive sign that the people know the police officers by their name, as this increases trust,” he explained.

He added that the civil protection and the armed forces are better equipped to offer a better service.

“Malta is one of the safest countries in Europe and the world. It is essential for the quality of life,” Camilleri said.